Locked Boy
by Awiszaczarny
Summary: Being able to go for a trip to Sinnoh was a once in a lifetime chance for Gold. During his journey, he got to meet Locked Boy hidden in Canalave Library. Inspired by games: HeartGold/SoulSilver/Diamond/Platinum/Pearl and MMV called Locked Boy by Cta Nagito. I'd recommend you go check it out. Slight AU, Preciousmetalshipping ahead. Oneshot.


Being able to go for a trip to Sinnoh was a once in a lifetime chance for Gold. He couldn't wait for this precious day to finally arrive. In his mind, he had an endless list of things he wanted to try out and places he wanted to visit.

When he finally arrived there, his excitement knew no bounds. Meeting Professor Rowan in Sandgem Town, receiving Coal Badge that, hopefully, would be one of many others, exploring new areas which looked so different from what he was used to, so beautiful. He didn't regret his decision even a little bit.

So he continued doing just that, beating gym leaders, getting a hold of what kind of Pokémon live there. He even got his Aipom to evolve, which he didn't know was possible. Things were definitely going well.

The night greeted him and his Pokémon after a long tiring day in Canalave City. Fighting against a gym leader wasn't as easy as he thought, but they made it through. After healing his Pokémon, he petted his beloved Typhlosion, thanking him for his effort and returned him to his pokeball. The moon was shining bright and he loved this view, but as much as he wanted to share it with his friends, he knew they needed their well-deserved rest.

He stood on the bridge for a while, observing his surroundings. Gold was known as a cocky, bold and loud person. If Crystal saw him being so quiet and content about such simple things like how the moon's reflection looks beautiful in the water, she'd mock him for the rest of his life. He chuckled a bit at the thought and decided it's time to go and rest somewhere. He had made enough of a fool of himself for one day.

He glanced towards the Pokémon Center he - just like many other trainers - used as a shelter during his journey. It was so loud that music and chatter could be heard from afar, which wasn't really anything unusual, but not what he wanted to put up with right now. Then, he decided to go and visit one place he didn't go to yet because of the lack of time.

Gold approached the Canalave Library, steadily pulling the doorknob and going inside.

There wasn't much to see, really, much to his surprise. It was one of the tallest buildings in Canalave City and, being the curious person he was, the Johto champion was eager to examine this place. He expected the library to be full of old, beautiful paintings and ancient figures, apart from the obvious part – books. Still, the library looked as plain as possible, which disappointed him a little.

He made his way to the highest floor, wanting to see how people on the street would look like small little dots if he looked out of the window there. He had fun watching the city preparing to go to sleep, smiling to himself when he heard a quiet voice.

"A young man, callow and foolish in

innocence, came to own a sword.

With it, he smote Pokémon, which gave

sustenance, with carefree abandon.

Those not taken as food, he

discarded, with no afterthought."

The boy was startled. He turned around, but couldn't see the owner of the voice. He did, however, see a door to another room of the library, and it seemed to be where the voice was coming from. It was a low voice which would probably belong to a boy his age. Slowly, he walked close to the door and kept silent, just listening. He wanted to check if he was right.

"The following year, no Pokémon

appeared. Larders grew bare.

The young man, seeking the missing

Pokémon, journeyed afar.

Long did he search. And far and wide,

too, until one he did find."

Gold gasped, a little bit nervous by now. He had so many questions regarding what he just heard. This situation was very weird and needed explaining. He pulled the doorknob, wanting to speak to the person he was listening to. Because, apart from being a bold, cocky and curious person, he was also very friendly and enjoyed meeting new people.

The second he did that, the door protested, making a strange, unpleasant sound, as if telling the young champion in its own way to leave. The door was locked. But someone obviously was inside. The raven haired boy stood there with a confused expression on his face.

Straight after this, he could hear a sharp breath from the other side of the door. He was spotted. And probably unwelcomed.

"Who's there?!" The boy on the other side sounded... scared. To the point he stuttered. But apart from that, he tried to sound strong and angry, he could feel it in his voice.

"Uhh, hi...?" Gold said, trying to sound nice and friendly and doing a terrible job at it. He felt silly talking to someone through the closed door. The whole situation seemed really embarrassing. Well, at least he wasn't the only one here.

He could hear a short groan filled with shame from the other side. Then, silence followed. Seems like this is how the stranger decided to deal with a weird situation. Pretending nothing happened? What a joke.

"Listen... I have lots of questions for you now. And I'd rather you don't ignore me. Why are you locked in there? Who are you? Why are you there in the first place? You kinda creeped me out in here, you know," he spoke again, trying to get some information. And answers.

Another silence. He was annoyed but desperate at the same time. He needed to hear him say something, anything. This wasn't a matter he could just let go of.

"... Okay, I admit, the creepy part was a bit too much. I'm sorry if I hurt you. My name is Gold, I was just visiting this place, and heard you speak. What are you doing in there?"

A long sigh could be heard.

"I was reading."

It was a short reply, but it made him really happy, the awkwardness of the conversation slowly going somewhere to the back of the boy's mind. He felt like he accomplished something.

"I see. Well... that sounded really cool. Seriously, very nice. I don't think I ever heard this story." Gold paused for a moment, sighed, then spoke up again "... You're not going to come out, are you?"

"No, I am not." Well, at least there was a chance they could still talk, right? He really wanted to know more about the boy on the other side. He had so many questions but he already knew the other person wouldn't answer any of them. Still, he was curious. And a little bit worried, too.

"Okay. Still, like I said before, I really liked this story. I would want to know how it ends. Could you please continue reading? There's no one here but me, I promise!"

"It's not a story, it's a myth." Gold frowned, obviously irritated by the picky remark, but kept silent and let the boy continue talking. "And why should I believe you?" he sounded suspicious, but he could feel a hint of curiosity in the boy's voice.

"You have absolutely no reason to believe me," the raven haired boy said plainly. It was true. He had already laid all his cards on the table. He was being honest from the beginning to the end, but if the other won't believe him, then there wasn't really anything else he could do about it.

He could hear the other boy take a deep breath, and then, he started reading again.

"Asked he, 'Why do you hide?'

To which the Pokémon replied...

'If you bear your sword to bring

harm upon us, with claws and

fangs, we will exact a toll.

'From your kind we will take our

toll, for it must be done.

'Done it must be to guard ourselves

and for it, I apologize.' "

Gold gasped softly, picturing the said story in his mind. Whoever was on the other side, he was really good at reading. His voice was tender, but filled with emotions, appropriate to the situation in the story, every single time. He sat down on the floor and kept silent, hoping to not disturb the other boy and hear more.

"To the skies, the young man shouted

his dismay.

'In having found the sword, I have

lost so much.

'Gorged with power, I grew blind

to Pokémon being alive.

'I will never fall savage again.

This sword I denounce and forsake.

'I plead for forgiveness,

for I was but a fool.' "

"So saying, the young man hurled the

sword to the ground, snapping it.

Seeing this, the Pokémon disappeared

to a place beyond seeing... "

The boy's voice grew quiet with this last sentence and after that he didn't speak another word. The story was over.

"That..." Gold spoke when he finally came back from his imagination world "that was so... beautiful. Thank you!"

A sigh of relief could be heard from the other side. Well, that was a pleasant change.

"I'll come back here tomorrow, okay? Will you read something else for me if I do? Will we be able to talk again if I do?"

A long pause followed after this. Gold sighed. He had scared him again. It appeared that the straight-forwardness and enthusiasm that other people usually liked were more of a curse while dealing with this person. He let out a breath he had been holding for a while, waiting for the other boy's response. He got up, ready to go away and mutter apologies when he heard tender voice again.

"... If you do."

The young trainer smiled so brightly at these words. The smile he wanted to be seen by the other one so badly.

"Okay then! See you tomorrow!" Gold said and with that, he left, leaving the mysterious boy alone with his thoughts and his book.

On the other side of the door, the young loner scribbled nonsense at the back of his book. His life started going in a strange direction and he wasn't sure if he was ready.

True to his word, Gold visited him another day, at the same hour. More and more questions appeared in his mind, like "do the authorities even know you are here" or "where have you got the key to lock yourself in from" but he knew he wouldn't get an answer to these anytime soon. Locked Boy, as he decided to call him, didn't seem like the type of person who wanted to share much. He did listen, however, and for that Gold was glad.

Yet another day passed, and Gold decided he couldn't stay in this city forever. As much as he wanted to, he needed to remember why he came here in the first place.

So he moved forward, winning Icicle Badge and from that point on, he knew he was only a badge away from moving to the Elite Four. And, if everything went well, perhaps make his dream come true. This is what he had come here for, after all.

Still, he wanted to share his happiness with Locked Boy, so he found himself going back.

He released his Togekiss, who had evolved recently thanks to Professor Rowan's help, from her pokeball and went back. To the library and the boy surrounded with books.

So he moved to the top floor, as usual, surprised that he wasn't alone this time. A sad boy, way younger than Gold, was sitting on a chair, looking at the table before him with a pout. Like he was ready to cry. Gold moved a bit closer to the kid and spoke up.

"Hey there! What's wrong? Did something happen?" he said softly, confidence in his voice. The kid looked up at Gold with sad eyes and took off his blue cap.

"Someone's always checked out the book I want to read..." he answered with a sad voice and looked down.

Gold blinked. Not many people came to this library, let alone the top floor. He had a feeling he knew where this is going.

"Hey, no need to be so sad! Tell you what, if you come here tomorrow a little bit earlier, I might try to get one for you. What is this book that you're looking for?" he said, wondering if he wasn't asking for trouble promising something like that to a kid.

"I'm looking for Sinnoh Folk Tales. Mom told me they contain beautiful stories about how people and Pokémon became friends. I really like reading, but lately, someone's always taking the books I want to read," the boy explained with a sad voice. Gold simply smiled.

"Got it! Try coming here tomorrow, okay? I promise I'll try my best to get this book. Now go, it got a bit late. You wouldn't want to make your mom worry, right?" the Johto champion said, to which kid looked surprised. Then, Gold put the blue cap back on the boy's head. The boy smiled, nodded and then walked out the library, saying happily "Okay, thanks, mister!" on his way out.

"What an annoying kid," spoke the low, emotionless voice from beneath the door. Gold walked up to the door.

"So you do admit that it's your doing? This is kinda cruel if you did that on purpose, you know. He really seems to want to read this book. These books don't belong to you," he scolded the boy from the other side, laying down and leaning against the door.

"I will read it and then I will give it back. What is the big deal? This is what library is for after all." This was the first time he could hear the other boy annoyed.

"Yeah, but since you're not coming out of here, I doubt you're going to the librarian and to borrow these books, right? So you're basically just stealing them. It's not fair. Does anybody know you're in here, anyway?" An irritated hiss could be heard from beneath the door.

"If you dare to tell anyone..." there came a threat, to which the young trainer simply sighed.

"I don't plan on telling anyone if you don't want me to. I just want you to give the book back so that that kid could read it. That's all."

"I still want to finish reading it," came the short answer.

"Then let's do it. Let's read it together. Come on." Gold encouraged the other boy, closing his eyes. He wouldn't be able to see what he wanted even with his eyes open anyway.

He had managed to convince the other boy, because a second later, he started reading the story out loud.

"There lived a Pokémon in a forest.

In the forest, the Pokémon shed its

hide to sleep as a human.

Awakened, the human dons the

Pokémon hide to roam villages."

The images of said story filled his mind. The other boy's voice helped him picture this situation, all of it. He was in his own imagination world yet again, listening in awe to this low, calm voice, bringing him further to that surreal, strange dream world.

"There once were Pokémon that

became very close to humans.

There once were humans and Pokémon

that ate together at the same table.

It was a time when there existed no

differences to distinguish the two."

Gold relaxed and waited for more, not realizing how the boy lowered his voice with the last sentence. Silence followed and no other word was said. The raven haired boy opened his eyes, surprised.

"Wait... what? This is the end? You gotta be kidding me. How come it's so short?" he said, startled.

"I started reading it by myself. I was close to finishing it. Like I told you, I said I just want to finish," came a soft reply.

Oh.

That made sense.

"I see. Thank you for sharing it with me. So, you ready to give this book back?" he asked and as a reply to his question, he heard a scraping noise. Then, using the space between the floor and the door, a small book was shifted to his side.

"Thank you," Gold said cheerfully. The other boy was still silent.

"Hey, changing topic completely, I beat Candice today! Awesome, right? She didn't stand a chance against my Typhlosion! It was a great battle, though! Now I'm only a badge away from challenging the Elite Four! If everything goes well, I'll be the strongest trainer in Sinnoh! Man, I don't regret coming in here even a little bit" He kept talking, selfishly, not even once taking a breath in between. Locked Boy didn't seem to mind. Despite not liking human contact, he seemed to enjoy listening to others.

He never asked questions, or said anything unless he was being asked to. Still, he always listened to what Gold had to say, no matter how stupid it was.

"She said my fighting style looks beautiful! Man, that was flattering. Not that I could expect anything else with my awesome team," he laughed louder than expected.

"Where do you come from?" the question came out of the blue, making him stop talking at once. Since when he was being asked questions? Not that he minds, but it was weird. Especially that the other boy didn't comment anything he said at all.

"Johto, New Bark Town. It's a beautiful place! It's surrounded by trees and the lake. I really enjoyed sitting by the lake and looking at it as a kid. Mom never allowed me to swim in it, though. That place calms me down." 'You should see for yourself, really' was left unsaid, just hanging in Gold's mind.

"Me too," the silent response came. Well _that_ was something he didn't expect at all. It was a pleasant surprise.

'It was only a half lie' the other boy thought. He spent most of his life in Johto, after all.

"Really?! Where have you been, what did you see? Have you tried the lemonade in Goldenrod City? They sell the best lemonade in the world, you know!" he said with excitement, encouraging the other boy to say some more.

So they spent the rest of the night talking about their experiences there. Soon, the raven haired boy became very sleepy and left to get some rest at the Pokémon center, as always, promising to come back.

The next day, early in the evening, a certain kid walked to the top floor. He walked to one of the bookshelves and as promised, found what he was looking for. He smiled brightly, grabbed the book and went down to see the librarian.

Another day came, and another, and Gold found himself visiting the boy whenever he had the chance. After a month of talking together, he even noticed the boy on the other side could already pretty much tell when he was approaching.

"Hello, Gold," was what he heard when he stepped on the highest floor of the building. He smiled. They became really good friends. The other boy waited for him to come here. He got used to his presence and enjoyed it.

"Hello." He said just this, nothing more. The boy didn't seem as startled as yesterday, which was definitely a good sign. The young trainer's smile widened. He was happy.

"What do you want today?" These words were cold, but Locked Boy's tone wasn't. It was calm and tender. And even though he couldn't help but feel a little hurt, he ignored the slight ache at the back of his heart.

"I want to talk to you, isn't that obvious? And maybe read some stories together again, too," he chuckled a bit, then continued, "but first of all, I would like to know your name. It's only natural, since you know my name, too!"

"I do not want to. And I never asked you for your name. You willingly told me yourself." Again, Gold felt like they took a step back. And it stung.

"Hey, I... I feel really stupid for saying this, but what do you expect me to call you, then? It feels really stupid just calling you 'you' all the time," Gold said with slightly pained tone. "I promise I won't tell anyone. Hell, I don't even have anyone here I could tell and you know that."

Another long silence, but this time Gold was glad. He was glad, because he knew what this silence meant by now. For once, he was going to get his answer.

"Silver."

Huh?

"Whoah, slow down here, you're joking, right? I mean, it sounds pretty ironic if you consider my name." Even though he couldn't see Silver, he was absolutely certain the boy shrugged his shoulders in this room he was in.

"You wanted your answer, and there you have it. I am not lying."

"Well then. Nice to meet you, Silver. This is something I should have said long time ago." Gold let out a small, embarrassed laugh, hoping this could clean up the atmosphere between them somehow.

"Also..."

He grabbed his backpack and grabbed one rare candy. He pushed it through the chink between the door and the floor, making the candy land in Silver's room.

"What is this?" the curious boy asked.

"A candy. Candies are sweet and good. Everyone likes sweets, so I thought I could get you some! Don't hesitate to eat." Everything was silent for only a split second, then Gold could hear the sound of Poké Ball being opened and a cry he knew very well. It reminded him of that chilly mountain, of that day he had become the strongest trainer in the region. Sneasel.

"Woah, is that a Sneasel? I never knew you own a Pokémon as well! Man, it's so cool! Where have you got it from? Is it strong?"

Silver didn't reply, but Gold could hear him unwrapping the candy and giving it to his Sneasel, who started making happy chewing noises. He continued talking anyway. He already got used to Silver being a listener.

"Hey, that was pretty selfless! And pretty cool. You're a really nice person, do you know that?"

"Not 'it'. Sneasel is a male. And... thank you. Very much." This response made him happy. So happy. So happy that he didn't really think twice about what he wanted to say next.

"Hey... One day... I'll take you out of here." He knew he was asking for trouble by saying so, but he wanted the other boy to listen to his feelings. He needed them to be said out loud. "The world... the world is a beautiful place, I'm sure it has some space for you too. Even... even if you don't believe it right now, I'm sure you could be happy on the other side of this door, too. And I swear that I will do whatever it takes to make you happy. It's all up to you, but if you're willing to listen to what I'm saying then please, please... open the door." His voice was barely louder than a whisper, cracking like a fireplace from emotions that came over him.

Gold didn't expect that what happened next could have the power to break his heart.

 _A sob_. Silver was sobbing. This was the first time he could hear him cry and it was so very, very sad. He was willing to do anything right now to make him stop.

"Please," a weak voice strained with tears could be heard from another side, "don't worry about me anymore."

"What are you talking about? Of course I worry, of course I care about you! We're friends, I want what's best for you. Please, Silver. Let me at least try for your sake." He was nearly crying, too, because he couldn't bear it when the other boy was acting like this. Gold always did his best to take care of him, but if he was allowed to have one selfish wish, he would want Silver to open his door and tear down these walls he built around himself. Or maybe someone built them for him, he never really knew. Whenever Gold tried to push this subject, Silver either stayed silent or changed the topic. But he really, really didn't want to give up this time.

"I am a selfish, stubborn, bold and cocky person. And that's why I'll tell you something." Gold's voice wasn't cracked anymore; it was confident. He found the strength to continue talking. "I have dreams, many dreams. Some of them are small, some stupid, some surreal. I have lots of wishes. For example, I wish I could go visit Ferris Wheel in Unova, it must be a great feeling seeing world around you from above!" he laughed, then continued "And, for example... I wish we could go see it. Together. There are so many places I want to see with you. But most importantly, I want to see you. Friendship is a great thing, Silver, I want you to experience it in the best way possible. So... please? We won't do anything you're not ready for. Just... if you could, open up a little and hold my hand. It would make me very happy. I promise I won't come in if you tell me not to."

More tears. But, for the first time, he could heard the door unlock. His heart skipped a beat.

Of course, Silver made it clear he didn't want to let him in. But, he opened the door slightly, just enough to slip his hand through the door frame.

Slowly, very slowly and gently, he grabbed Silver's hand. Through the door frame, they could finally see each other. He registered eyes of the color of steel, filled with tears and emotions looking at him from the other side. Gold found himself crying, too, but this time, it was because of happiness. He smiled widely as they continued to examine each other. The boy was definitely his age, there was no doubt about it now. He also could see long, red hair, somewhere up to the boy's shoulders. He looked... pretty. He had the eyes of a person surrounded with knowledge. And pain no one ever took care of.

He wanted to know. He wanted to help, he wanted to be here for him.

Silver looked surprised when he had seen Gold's happy smile. Just how long has it been since the last time he has seen a human being? Time stopped existing for him a long time ago.

"Thank you," Gold said, letting go of Silver's hand, tears dry. He swore he could see the other boy smile too, as he slowly locked the door again.

"Thank you," was all Silver said, mimicking Gold's words. Just that. But it was filled something so pure he felt like crying again.

He didn't.

"You're... You're a great person. I want you to know that," the raven haired boy said, heart rising to his mouth again. The other boy kept silent and he decided it would be best to change the topic. "Tomorrow's my big day. I'm going to challenge the Elite Four. If everything goes well, I'll become the champion of Sinnoh! Wish me luck, Silver!"

Silver didn't say anything yet again, but then he could hear him fold a piece of paper and write something on it. Then, said piece of paper appeared right next to him on the floor. He grabbed to see what was written on it.

"Good luck, Gold. Do your best."

A single, simple flower doodle was drawn under this sentence.

'I love you' found its way to Gold's mind. He wanted to say it so badly. This boy made him so happy.

 _He didn't._

"Thank you, Silver. I'll do my best for both of us. You'll see! We trained a lot, we're almost unbeatable now!" And with that, he left again, as always promising to come back as soon as possible.

In the dark, small room surrounded with books, food and blankets, the red haired boy felt himself smile like he never had before. He gently rubbed one of his hands – a hand that experienced contact with another human, which didn't make him want to scream from sadness and fear. In fact, he felt happy. Then, he went to sleep cuddling his Sneasel, golden eyes and black hair haunting his dreams.

Gold didn't visit him the next day. True, Gold never said he will visit him today, but Silver became really used to the boy's attention. It was an important day to Gold, and he wanted to be there for him. With him. He was probably at the Pokémon league right now, trying his best. And Silver wasn't there to cheer him up.

Sneasel, sensing Silver's feelings hugged him close. Silver pet the tiny Pokémon and softly muttered "thanks".

"What would have I done without you... I'm pretty much sure I would starve to death in here. I wouldn't have any books I could read either, any notebooks to write in. You're my hero, Sneasel," he said softly, which made the Pokémon hug him tighter, letting out a small content noise.

He closed his eyes and went to sleep. Memories filled his dreams, memories he wished he could forget.

 _"You told me... you were the number one in the world!" he screamed, his voice burning with anger. Has he lied to him the whole time? Was he not his hero anymore? Did he really want to abandon him? "Are you going to quit? What are you going to do now?" he asked, but truth is, he wasn't sure if he was ready for his answer._

 _"I will go solo... for now. So that one day I will form a stronger organization!" his father, no, Giovanni said. He's not his father anymore. He doesn't deserve to be called that. The older man's words were filled with madness as he stood there, far away from Silver. He didn't even want to come near him._

 _"What aspect of you was number one? Gathering so many only to be defeated by a mere child!" Silver didn't care about what he was saying anymore. He just wanted to hurt him. He wanted to hurt him oh so much for being hurt, for being thrown away, for shattering his childish faith._

 _"Putting together the potential of many is how you produce a huge power... That's what an organization is. That's the strength of an organization! I failed to make the best use of my subordinates' potential. But you shall witness one day the revival of me and my Team Rocket!"_

 _Giovanni screamed, his face bearing the sick smile. It scared Silver. It was the first time he saw this man smiling like that. What was he up to?_

 _"I don't understand you! You don't make any sense!" he screamed back._

 _Giovanni frowned._

 _"One day, you will understand," he said as he turned his back on his own son. Then, he started walking away without another word, and Silver let him, his fists trembling._

 _"I don't want to understand you! I will never become someone like you. A coward when you're alone and acting like a tyrant when you're in front of the cowards! I will become strong! I will become a strong man all my myself. All by myself!" he screamed so loud his throat burned from pain, tears hot in his eyes. But Giovanni didn't stop, didn't look back even once. It didn't matter right now. It was over. He ran towards the Viridian Forest, tears blurring his vision. He tried to ignore citizens of Viridian City who looked at him with worry and a little bit of fear. True, he must have looked suspicious with the way he was acting right now but he didn't really care. His world shattered and this is all he cared about right now._

 _He reached the forest and collapsed against one of the trees, still crying. Now, he was alone. He had been abandoned. There wasn't a place he could call "home" anymore. What is he going to do?_

 _He screamed._

 _He didn't really scream anything in particular. He just needed to let it out. He was desperate, he was sad and angry. He didn't have anything. Everything he ever had was taken from him, just like that. No, it was Giovanni who took it from him._

 _He didn't know how much time had passed, but he could see the sunset from beneath the trees. Not like it mattered, anyway. He didn't have anywhere he could go so time and place didn't matter to him anymore._

 _Then he heard a weird, high pithed cry, which ended in a low tone. It didn't sound like a cry of any Pokémon he knew. He looked up._

 _Not far away from where he was, a small, dark blue creature stood, looking at him from beneath a tree. Its left ear was red, unlike the rest of its dark blue fur which reminded him of the night sky. It was also bigger than its right ear. Its crimson eyes were filled with curiosity, white claws holding the tree tight. On its belly and between its eyes, there were two golden gems, their brightness contrasting with its dark appearance, glowing softly._

When he woke up the next day, Gold wasn't here. He figured it must have been very early then and that soon the people will come to borrow their books.

This, or Gold didn't plan to show up at all.

"Do you think he'll come visit me soon?" he asked, to which Sneasel simply nodded, continuing hugging his friend.

Soon, he could hear people talking, coming up and down the stairs, always trying to keep it quiet.

He picked up his notebook and started scribbling random doodles in it.

One of the doodles looked similar to certain golden eyed person. Silver told himself it was just a coincidence.

Next evening, Silver was reading again, pretending it was just his routine by now and he didn't really do that to keep his mind off thinking about whether Gold will come today or not. He was staring at the book before him that showed nothing but pretty words that lacked emotions. He tried to focus, he really, really tried. He coughed as he closed the book, causing him to inhale too much dust.

Then, he heard it. These footsteps; only one person made such a noise while walking.

Well, not walking. More like running for dear life this time. Gold was running up the stairs, tripping in the process. He was panting.

"Silver!" the oh so familiar voice shouted. The boy was clearly in a hurry, and yet, he made it. He sounded excited, too. Silver's heart skipped a beat.

"Silver, I did it! I'm the strongest trainer in the entire region, I did it!" Gold's voice was filled with pure excitement and pride. And Silver was happy. So happy.

Gold walked up to the door, as usual, lying down and leaning against the door frame.

"And hey, I got something for you too, you know. To celebrate the occasion. Mind opening the door a little bit? I doubt it will fit between the door frame," he said. Then, the door opened just a little. He smiled, carefully handing the round berry of green and pink color, a bit bigger than his fist.

The startled boy took his gift, then closed the door.

"What is this?" Silver asked.

"It's a Watmel Berry! Try it out, it's soft and really sweet. I heard you can even make Poffins using it," he answered, then reminded himself there was still librarian downstairs, despite the fact that every visitor already left. He had to keep his voice down. "It tastes good, honestly," he said quietly.

Silver took a bite of the weird fruit and realized that Gold was right. It was really soft and sweet. It tasted really good. He smiled. Sneasel brought him lots of food, but he never gave him something like this. He wished he could eat more.

"Hey, so..." the new champion of Sinnoh said, his voice a bit uneasy. "My job here is done, you know? I mean... I saw everything there was possible to see and spent two happy months. And as much as it pains me to say it, I... I will have to come back soon. Mom and Crystal miss me so much, and I miss them, too. I'm happy I could meet you and I was happy talking to you, reading stories with you. But soon... I will have to come back home." It was hard to speak, it was a topic he wished he could avoid, but it wasn't possible. He had to say it all. "I wish... I wish you could come back home with me, though. I don't want this to end."

Silver didn't answer. From the other side of the door, he was sitting there, tears leaving his eyes without him letting out a single sound. He held his breath.

"Still," he continued, trying to become a little bit more positive about the entire situation. "That doesn't mean I'm leaving right away. I still have some time and I want to spend it with you, regardless of whether you decide to come back with me or not." He sighed, worried because Silver still didn't say anything. "That's why... Could you read something for me today? I'm sure you have many books over there. I want us to read something together again, if possible."

Silver's chest was tight, but he said a simple "okay" when he finally found his voice. Then, he grabbed one of his books and started reading out loud.

"Look not into the Pokémon's eyes.

In but an instant, you'll have no

recollection of who you are.

Return home, but how?

When there is nothing to remember?"

Gold closed his eyes and let Silver continue, sadness filling his heart.

"Dare not touch the Pokémon's body.

In but three short days, all emotions

will drain away.

Above all, above all, harm not

the Pokémon.

In a scant five days, the offender

will grow immobile in entirety."

After hearing the entire story, Gold grabbed his backpack and as usual, left, leaving Silver alone with his thoughts. And for the first time in his life, Silver felt something inside of him click. He smiled and decided that he's really looking forward to tomorrow.

When Gold woke up in one of the Pokémon Center's shelter rooms, he wasn't exactly happy. He rubbed his still sleeping Ambipom's fur slowly, trying to release the tension.

He was really scared he's going to lose Silver. But there was nothing he could do.

Silver had his problems, he understood that. The boy was locked in this room for years, it was too selfish for him to demand from him to change just for Gold.

Still, he was a selfish type and couldn't help but hope for that.

He dressed up and decided that some training at the Turnback Cave would be a nice way to spend his day.

Naturally, when evening came, he went to the Canalave Library. He went up to the top floor and he promised himself he'll be acting as happy and carefree as possible of him as he stepped by the door, lying down and leaning against it.

"Hi Silver. You wouldn't believe. I saw a Giratina! It's amazing, right? Legends were true, it really exists! I was a bit terrified but it didn't harm me in anyway, just ran after seeing me. I heard it's extremely violent, I think I was super lucky I got away without a scratch," he laughed nervously.

There was no response and that worried Gold. All he could hear was a soft sigh.

"Silver? Are you okay?" he asked, obviously worried.

"Yes, I'm okay, I'm okay, I... Gold," he said, his voice cracking a bit ",step back from the door and close your eyes."

Gold was sad all of a sudden. Did Silver want him to leave? He tried not to judge things too fast and did as he was told, but he really wanted to know. Silver wasn't the type to answer questions, but he really needed to ask at least one thing right now.

"Done. What is it all about, Silver?"

What happened next was so, so fast. He could hear the door being unlocked.

And _footsteps._

"You can open your eyes now."

And when he did, he gasped, his eyes filled with tears.

"Silver!" he said, louder than he planned. He gasped, unable to believe that this was really happening. Because it was Silver, standing right before him, shyly smiling and crying a little bit too.

He was wearing a long sleeved black shirt and black pants. Both looked too big for him.

He was way taller than him, too.

All these details... he could see them right now. And he loved them.

"Silver," he said again, a little bit quieter this time but definitely not less happy. This situation was so perfect.

Silver chuckled a bit at the other boy's funny expression, eyes full of tears.

Slowly, happily, Gold wrapped his arms around the red haired boy. And he didn't push him away.

They were both laughing and crying and making fools of themselves, but it didn't matter, Gold decided, as he was running one of his hands through the crimson locks, feeling Silver relax and move closer to him.

What mattered was that this boy before him was finally tearing down the walls around him. And he'll help him do so, and one day, this day will be one of many memories these two share.


End file.
